posture

posture — noun

1. the usual way a person carries their back, neck, and shoulders, or the body shap

1.nounC1
Definition

the usual way a person carries their back, neck, and shoulders, or the body shape they take when sitting or standing.

Example

The doctor checked Eva's posture after the bike accident.

check someone's posture

Good posture kept Kevin's back comfortable during the long meeting.

collocation: good posture

Common collocations
  • good posture
  • bad posture
  • straight posture
  • improve posture
Synonyms
  • bearing

    more formal and often stresses the impression your body carriage creates

  • stance

    usually refers to the way someone stands, not overall body carriage in general

  • pose

    often means one chosen position, especially for a photo or painting

Grammar Patterns

good/bad posture

improve posture

check someone's posture

Usage Note

Often modified by adjectives such as 'good', 'bad', 'straight', or 'proud'. Common with verbs like 'improve', 'keep', and 'check'.

Common Mistakes

The doctor checked Eva's position at the desk.
The doctor checked Eva's posture at the desk.
'posture' is about how the body is held, not where it is.

2. an official view or approach that a government, company, or other group takes on

2.nounC1
Definition

an official view or approach that a government, company, or other group takes on an issue.

Example

The union changed its posture after the factory closed.

Japan kept a neutral posture during the trade dispute.

collocation: neutral posture

Common collocations
  • neutral posture
  • public posture
  • posture on defence
  • soften its posture
Synonyms
  • stance

    the closest everyday synonym, often used for public positions

  • position

    slightly broader and common in formal discussion or debate

  • attitude

    can be more personal and less official than 'posture'

Grammar Patterns

posture on + issue

adopt a posture

soften/harden a posture

Usage Note

Usually singular and often followed by 'on' plus the issue being discussed. Common with verbs such as 'adopt', 'change', 'keep', 'soften', and 'harden'.

Common Mistakes

The company changed its posture for remote work.
The company changed its posture on remote work.
this sense usually uses 'on' before the issue.

posture — verb

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, posture is the usual way a person holds the body, especially the back, shoulders, and neck. Pose often means one chosen position for a photo, painting, or performance, so it sounds more momentary. Stance is most natural for the way someone stands, and it can also mean an opinion, so it is narrower physically. Bearing is more formal and often suggests the impression created by posture, such as confidence or dignity. In everyday health advice, posture is the best word: you improve your posture at a desk, strike a pose for a camera, take a wide stance before hitting a ball, and admire a dancer's graceful bearing.

posture ↗pose ↗stance ↗bearing

Etymology

LatinItalianMiddle FrenchEnglish

English borrowed posture from Middle French, which had taken it from Italian postura. Behind both is Latin positura, from ponere, meaning 'to place'. The earliest core idea was physical placing or arrangement, and English later extended it to a person's body position and then to a more figurative sense of public or political attitude.